Dancing Feet
by RavenWolf2089
Summary: Support Stacie Auction Fic. Rachel/Mike pairing Matt/Puck/Rachel/Mike friendship


Rachel headed into school, wishing that she could spend the day in bed, it was a month after sectionals and she was still the pariah of glee, curiously the rest of the school left her alone, instead the glee kids, including Finn, ostracised her and made her feel worthless. She had found a friend in Puck, which she was extremely thankful for, but she still felt alone, lowering her head she hurried towards her locker, clutching her books to her chest, her new smaller backpack flapping against her thigh. Her new tactic was to blend in as much as possible, as such her short skirts and argyle jumpers had disappeared, along with her roller back pack, she now was a former shadow of herself, quiet, small, and jumpy.

Mike and Matt lounged outside their lockers before class started their eyes following Rachel as they did every day.

"This is fucked up" muttered Matt, missing the vibrant leader of glee, hating the way Rachel now scuttled down the hallway in fear.

"It's not like she did anything wrong" Mike said "she just told the truth, ok maybe not for the best reasons, but still even Finn is being a douche over this"

"Which I don't get" Matt said, not understanding how Finn could blame Rachel for what Quinn and Puck did "she looks sad" he noted as Rachel buried her head into locker, trying to ignore Finn at his locker next to her. Glancing at each other and communicating in a way only best friends for life could, they both decided they were sick of sitting back and letting life happen around them, pushing back they walked over to Rachel determinedly.

"Hey" Mike greeted her, wincing as she whipped around and shrunk back in fear.

"Hey, Hey, it's just us" Matt hurried to reassure her "just me and Mike" he rubbed her shoulder reassuringly, feeling disbelief that she was so scared.

"Hi...Hi guys" she greeted "How are you both?"

Puck glanced up from his locker, glancing towards Rachel's locker, trying to see if she was in school, spotting her at her locker, he felt a momentary pang of loss for the short skirts she used to wear, though she did look very good in jeans as well. Glancing again as he pulled his books out of his locker, he saw he shrink back in fear as Matt and Mike greeted her, in a decidedly unbaddass way, he dropped his books and bolted towards her, wanting to protect her from the only people he had the right to beat up.

"Rach" he said loudly coming up behind her, grabbing her shoulders from Matt, pulling her behind him, glaring at Matt and Mike "What hell are you putting her through now?" he snapped

"Puck stop" Rachel ordered gently "they were just saying hi" she moved back in front of him "sorry, he's extremely protective of me"

"Hey it's understandable" Mike said shrugging "you have kind of been going through hell at the moment"

"Yeah, and we have decided that we hate it, you didn't do anything and even Finn is being a douche" Matt said, rubbing his hand discreetly, it was hurting from where it had bounced off the lockers when Puck had pulled Rachel away from him.

"What has made you change your mind" Puck asked bluntly "you could just be setting her up to be embarrassed again, and personally I'm sick of sitting back and letting glee lay into her, you two I can beat up"

The three of him looked at him quizzically trying to understand his logic

"Well I can't beat up the girls, especially Quinn, and Kurt is practically a girl, Artie is well Artie, and I deserve whatever Finn throws at me" he explained, comprehension dawning they all nodded wisely.

"Oh" they all said in unison

"Huh that actually made sense" Mike said "but we aren't setting her up, or you, we've decided that we are on your side"

"But doesn't mean going against your girlfriends? Not to mention Finn, he's your friend" Rachel protested weakly, but really wanting to accept their offer of friendship

"We dumped San and Brit ages ago, I don't share" Matt snapped, his eyes softening as he saw Rachel wince "sorry" he apologised "I'm didn't mean to snap at you, I won't do it again" he promised as Puck's eyes darkened with anger

"No, I'm sorry, I guess I'm a little anxious" Rachel said trying to smile, suddenly gasping as she was doused in slushie from behind, with a roar Puck turned, hoping it wasn't a member of glee and he could beat up whoever it was. Unfortunately he found himself face to face with Kurt and Mercedes, who smirked and walked away, Rachel took a deep breath struggling to maintain her usual facade that she presented when she was slushied, instead she found her eyes filling with tears, her knees buckling.

Matt and Mike hating that look of defeat on her face moved to support her, slipping their arms around her they pushed their way through the crowds towards the nearest male bathroom. Puck following with a scowl on his face, that caused the school to move out of the way quickly, entering in front of them he threw the freshman inside out with one look, and moved a chair in front of one of the sinks.

Placing Rachel in the chair the three boys were unprepared for her complete breakdown, pulling her jacket which had taken the brunt of the attack off Rachel fell to his knees, sobbing into her hands, scaring the three jocks who were so used to her no nonsense attitude.

Moving swiftly but feeling awkward the three boys fell to the ground next to her, crowding around her they all showed their support as best they could. Puck scooted behind her, easing her back to lean against him, not caring about the sticky slushie that was running down from her hair, Matt and Mike each took a hand, squeezing it gently.

"Let it all our Rach" Puck told her, rubbing her back in a smooth circle

"I'm...hic...sorry" she gasped, struggling to control her breathing and stop crying

"Nothing to be sorry for" Mike insisted

"Nothing" reiterated Matt, scooting closer to her, rubbing her lower back, Mike mimicked his actions, soothing Rachel as best they could they waited as she calmed down.

Rubbing the tears from her eyes and straightening, forcibly pulling her walls back into place "I do apologise boys, that was very unlike me, I should not have forced you all into the position where you felt obligated to help me"

"Shit I didn't feel obligated" Puck insisted "your my friend, get used to me being there, like I have been telling you for the last month"

"And we have told you that you have nothing to be sorry for" Mike said, Matt nodding in agreement "now come on let's get you cleaned up" he told her helping her to her feet, then hesitating not knowing exactly how to help.

"I got this" Puck saved him "go grab her spare clothes, her locker combo is 5-20-17" Matt went to grab them as Puck pushed Rachel into the chair, grabbing a cup he gently helped wash her hair out of the sticky concoction.

"You're getting better at this" Rachel noted

"Practise" Puck grunted "but getting pretty sick of doing it if I'm honest"

Hurt flashing in her eyes, Rachel moved her hand to still his own "I've got it then" she said softly

"Not what I meant" Puck said shaking off her hand and continuing to wash it out "I meant that I'm sick and tired of you having slushie in your hair to wash out, Mike throw me that towel" he ordered, grabbing it from the air he helped twist it around her wet hair as she sat up.

Briskly towelling her hair dry, Rachel stood up as Matt walked in with a bag of clothing, taking it from him she ducked into a cubicle to change quickly, twisting her hair up into a ponytail; Rachel exited in another pair of jeans and a t-shirt.

"Missing those skirts Rach" Mike smirked, rolling her eyes; Rachel smacked him on the arm, and grinned at the three boys, truly believing that they were actually there for her.

Rachel clasped a hand over her mouth desperately trying not to burst into laughter, as Mike muttered in her ear, Matt on her other side held his sides in silent laughter, sitting at the back of glee club the four now extremely close friends desperately tried not to laugh out loud, as Mike muttered under his breath.

"Seriously why is he rapping? He does know we were humouring him with Bust a Move right? I keep expecting him to bring out some M C Hammer"

"Hammer Time" Matt snorted out, reducing the four of them to hysterics, failing at keeping their laughter quiet Rachel and Mike fell to their knees of their chair, supporting each other as tears of laughter fell down their face. The glee club turned to the four as they laughed loudly at the back of the class, Puck and Matt leaned on each other holding their sides, as Rachel and Mike leaned against each other on the floor.

"We disturbing you Manhands?" asked Santana spitefully

"Sorry" Rachel gasped, inhaling deeply as her laughing fit ceased "Sorry for disturbing you Mr Schuester" she apologised as Mike helped her back to her feet and onto her chair.

"Yeah sorry Schue" Puck gasped

"Glee is over anyway, you're dismissed" he said a little sullenly

"I think he heard us" Rachel whispered as she grabbed her jacket and followed her best friends out of the door

"Yeah I think so too" Matt grinned, helping Rachel into her jacket as she struggled to get her bag, find her keys and answer the phone all at the same time, grinning her thanks she moved away to talk to the person on the phone as the three boys waited for her.

It was a month since Rachel's breakdown in the bathroom, and Mike and Matt had certainly kept to their word, now a almost constant presence in Rachel and Puck's lives they were all best friends, working together to help heal both Rachel and Puck.

Puck had certainly been going through a bad time since sectionals, Quinn had decided that she wanted to do everything with the baby on her own, finding a family who wanted a baby girl had been painfully easy, and they had even agreed to cover medical costs. Now Quinn was living with Santana, but talking to her parents about going home after the baby was born in 3 short months, Puck had been forcefully made to sign the adoption papers, following his world shattering meeting Rachel, Matt and Mike had sat with him as he drank himself into oblivion. After sharing such an intimate moment together, their friendship was iron clad, and in his own mind he could admit that they were closer relationships than the one had shared with Finn.

Rachel on the other hand was still being hounded by the other glee members, all three boys regularly washing her hair free of slushie, Matt and Mike throwing dirty looks at Finn when he made a dumb comment that hurt her, or telling him to shut up. She was still a former shadow of herself, not putting herself forward as much in glee, and continued to wear jeans and t-shirts to school, which had prompted the gleek-cheerios to call her Rupaul more. Just having the boys there as her friends had greatly improved her school life, she now knew what it was like to have real friends, rather than ones who put her down constantly, now she was actually enjoying high school.

"Hey guys, my dads are going away again, they want to know if they need to stock the fridge for four again?"

"Sounds good to me, anything to avoid home" Puck said "It's Friday and I really don't want to watch Schindler's List again, and my little sister is going to my pops"

"Yeah I'll stay" Mike said, Matt nodding in agreement, all three boys regularly crashing as the Berry's now, and were very close to the her fathers, who loved that Rachel now had friends, even if they were three hormonal teenage boys. Turning back to her phone Rachel told her fathers to restock the fridge for four people, smiling Rachel grabbed her bag from Mike and put her phone away, laughing together as only a group of close friends could over practically nothing they walked out of school, again ignoring the glares they received from the glee club as they did every day.

Scoffing at the sight of the four friends leaving the school together Kurt smoothed his hair back and turned to the glee club

"I can't believe they disturbed our practise like that" he snipped

"I don't care about that" Santana scoffed "I hate the fact she has three jocks on her side, and that the rest of the school is leaving her alone now, she's a freak! She deserves to be slushied"

"They seem to be really good friends" Mercedes noted "never thought they would be able to put up with that diva's brand of crazy, god knows we can't she so bloody selfish"

"She's the reason I'm alone" Finn snapped walking away, Quinn following mutely after Brit and Santana.

Rachel ducked her head as a Twinkie sailed past her, hitting her bedroom wall and disintegrating into a huge mess, laughing she threw a pillow at Puck,

"Puck" she whined "you're cleaning that up" she ordered as the pillow hit him square in the face, lounging back against Mike as the four of them hung out in her bedroom, she smiled as Mike discreetly wrapped his arm around her waist.

Both completely oblivious to the knowing grins on Matt and Puck's faces, Matt went back to rifling through her closet, trying to find her skirts and sweater vests, spotting a box on the floor he pulled it towards him opening it up curiously.

"Rutherford you do realise that your acting like a girl right now don't you?" asked Puck, before getting smacked in the head by a pillow again "shit Rach that's one hell of an aim you got" he moaned rubbing his head.

Rachel and Mike laughed at his moaning, moving closer to each other instinctively, Matt stood up in surprise a letterman's jacket dangling from his fingertips "What's this?" he asked slyly

"Someone gave you their letterman's jacket?" asked Mike slightly jealously

"No" Rachel shook her head "turn it around" she told Matt, who did showing clearly the name Berry across the back "it's mine".

Her three best friends looked at the small brunette curiously, jumping up she took the jacket from Matt's hands and slipped it on "see" she told them as she modelled it, over her left breast large letter proclaimed CHS, while on the sleeve, there was a logo of running shoes with wings attached.

"What did you letter in?" asked Puck

"Cross Country, I love running" Rachel smiled sitting back down but against the wall, not with Mike, who glanced down in disappointment, before pulling back his usual cheerful manner.

"I guess you're pretty good at it as well, considering all the medals in that box" Matt said

"Once upon a time" Rachel said lightly taking off the jacket and putting it back in the box, pushing it back deep into the rear of her closet firmly and shutting the door, before they could ask any more questions. "Now Puck clean up that Twinkie, or I'm putting mushrooms on all of the pizza's" Rachel threatened moving back to her bed and next to Mike and Matt who were laughing at Puck's disgruntled face.

"You should join McKinley's CC team with Matt and me" Mike said as Puck cleaned up

"I didn't know you two were on the CC team" Rachel noted

"We're joining this season now that football is coming to a close, not a huge fan of playing basketball" Matt noted lounging back against her pillows "join with us"

"I'll think about it" Rachel promised, letting herself lean back against Mike a little, much to his relief "How about Halo?" she asked wanting to change the conversation, luckily being men they were easily distracted and readily agreed.

Hours later Rachel sneaked away from the lounge were they were playing on the Xbox and went upstairs, opening her closet she pulled the box Matt had found towards her and opened it. Taking out her jacket she folded it over her lap reverently and looked back into the box, fingering her uniform lightly and running her fingers over her medals. Exasperated at herself she dumped the jacket back into the box and closed it firmly, not noticing Mike standing behind her.

"Hey what's wrong?" he asked sitting behind her, pulling her back to lean against him

"Nothing, just talking a walk down memory lane" Rachel quipped "could you do me a favour?"

"Course"

"Put this in the attic for me?" she asked kicking the box, nodding Mike picked it up and went to the door that blocked the stairs to the attic, carrying up the stairs he opened the box curiously one more time, spotting a year book at the bottom he pulled it out.

Cambridge Wolves! It proclaimed across the front, flipping it open he flicked through it idly. Coming across the sports pages, he paused on the cross country pages where Rachel stood surrounded by a team of mostly boys, holding a trophy in another photo. He smiled at her bright smile, flicking further into the yearbook, finding another picture of Rachel as part of a dance team.

"Mike!" Rachel yelled from the bottom of the stairs

Flushing in embarrassment that he was invading her privacy he dropped the year book back into the box and hurried down the stairs to her, throwing his arm around her to lead her back downstairs.

"I'd ask if you fell in, but you were in the attic" She laughed, plopping herself on the sofa, grabbing a slice of pizza. Mike grinned a little, hoping Rachel wouldn't catch the flash of guilt he knew flashed in his eyes; he sat next to her and Matt as Puck swore at the television as he died again.

The four friends continued to play on the Xbox all night eating junk food and drinking soda, Rachel may have relaxed a lot but they still couldn't convince her to drink beer. Feeling delightfully sleepy Rachel snuggled down on to the sofa laughing at the TV as Matt and Puck played on Call of Duty, Mike grinned at her as her eyes got heavier and heavier and closed for longer periods of time. Shifting around he got her to lie across the sofa resting her head on his lap, smoothing her silky hair back from her face as she finally let her eyes close.

Mike watched her sleep in awe at how beautiful and peaceful she looked as she slept, glancing up at his male best friends he saw the knowing looks and smiles on their faces, as Mike continued to smooth back her hair. Grinning ruefully he turned back to Rachel, content to just watch her sleep, he knew exactly how he felt about the brunette, but she continually confused him, one minute she seemed to be reciprocating and the next pulling back into the friend zone.

Feeling her shiver in her sleep a hour later Mike shifted to pick her up carrying her upstairs to her bedroom, struggling to pull back her covers her eventually did placing her carefully in the centre, pulling her covers over her tucking her in.

Sitting in the arm chair in the corner of her room, he grabbed her laptop off her desk, deciding to surf the net rather than go back downstairs and watch the boys. After checking his Facebook and emails, her surfed randomly before on a whim deciding to search Cambridge Wolves, searching Google for the Cambridge Wolves the first hit was for a school, while the other's dealt with news results that happened to involve the same two words.

Clicking on the school he found a website for a High School in Boston, glancing in disbelief at the word High School, he checked if there was a Junior High, but there wasn't one, closing the laptop he went downstairs.

"Guys when did Rach transfer to McKinley?"

"Well she joined in freshman year, but she didn't go to Junior High with us, so I guess technically she didn't, why?" asked Matt

"I thought so, but then how does she have a letter jacket? They don't hand them out in Junior High"

"But she's a sophomore, if she went to another high school she's be a junior like us" Puck protested putting down the controller

"Did it seem like she didn't want to talk about it?" asked Mike curiously trying to remember

"Well she did brush of the question a little, and then put the jacket away, plus if she did love running wouldn't she have jumped at the chance to join the CC team with you guys?" answered Puck.

Glancing up the stairs quickly Mike motioned the boys into the kitchen "ok I'm not proud to admit this but I looked in that box when Rachel asked me to put it in the attic, there was a year book in it and I had a look, it said Cambridge Wolves on the front. At first I didn't think about it just figured it was from her junior high, but when I searched for it, a junior high with that name doesn't exist, only a high school in Boston"

Matt and Puck looked at each other in surprise then back at Mike

"I know, I shouldn't have invaded her privacy like that, but I'm really confused now" he said

"What's confusing you?" Rachel asked coming up behind them, wrapping her arms around Mike in a hug "thank you for putting me to bed" she told him kissing him on the cheek, before moving to the fridge.

"Uh n...nothing, I'm good" Mike stammered "you're welcome" he managed as she got out a glass of milk

"Hey Berry, I just had a thought" Puck said deciding to attack the mystery head on as was his usual MO.

"Wow! Should I faint?" Rachel giggled, hoisting herself up on the counter

"HaHa" he deadpanned "how do you have a letter jacket?"

"Well it's this really funny thing, when you excel in a sport to a certain level, it's called lettering in the sport" Rachel explained slowly laughing "seeing as you have one, I assumed you knew"

"Yeah funny" Puck scowled "but only in high school, you joined in freshman year, otherwise I would have only been stupidly torturing you for this year, not last year as well, and have I mentioned how sorry I am?"

Rachel glowered at him for bringing up his past actions again, it really annoyed her that he couldn't just let it go, now that she had forgiven him there was no need to keep bringing it up.

"Yes Puck you may have mentioned it once or twice, it's simple really I retook my freshman year" Rachel told them slipping off the counter to put her glass in the dishwasher.

"No way!" protested Matt "You have a 4.0 GPA!"

"I assure you I had to re-enrol in my freshman year when I moved to Ohio, though me and my fathers did protest strongly"

"Ok then why?" asked Puck bluntly, knowing that unless he pushed it Rachel wouldn't volunteer the information "obviously you attended the first semester, because CC season starts in late autumn to early winter, so for you to letter in the sport you would have to be there"

"Puck" warned Rachel, wrapping her arms around her body defensively, glancing at Matt and Mike she saw the same determined look on their faces as was on Puck's "Something happened and I missed my finals, that's why Sylvester and Figgin's insisted that I retake my freshman year"

"What?" demanded Puck "and that's the last time I ask" he stated, fear for his friend causing his personality to revert back to evil Puck, a bit of a dick.

"I was raped" Rachel stated, her voice straining to keep even

Mike blanched and Matt turned white, if it was even possible, and Puck punched a wall. Mike hurried to hold Rachel in his arms, Matt and Puck crowding around her as well.

"I was at a party, and something was slipped into my drink" Rachel explained quietly, desperate to get the story out now "I woke up covered in blood and screaming in agony, I was found by a CC team mate, I was rushed to hospital and surgery. They took a rape kit but there was no DNA, all I knew was that someone I went to school, someone I saw everyday raped me. I couldn't handle going to school, walking those hallways every day, so I skipped a lot, I missed all my finals, and when I came here for a fresh start I had to restart my high school career again"

Puck pulled Rachel out of Mike's arms and into his own, as the first person to have anything to do with him after the true paternity of Quinn's baby had come out he had a deep need to protect Rachel, hearing that she had been raped had been like a dagger to his stomach. He may be a bit of a douche bag when it came to girls, but he never forced himself upon a girl "if we ever do find out I will kill him" he promised her.

"We will kill him" Matt said, pulling Rachel into his arms to hug her, needing the reassurance that she was ok.

Rachel pulled away, briskly brushing away a stray tear "Thank you, but seeing as we will never find out I'm not worried about bailing any of you on the charge of murder, I told you because you wanted to know, however I don't want to ever mention it again please don't bring it up and please forget what happened"

"Rach" they all objected

"No, this hasn't changed anything, I'm still me, this happened almost 2 years ago, it doesn't affect me to the extent that it did, please" she begged "I'm still as strong as I ever was, I can't remember the actual rape, but the fact that I went through it has made me who I am today, as after my very obvious crush on Finn I'm not some scared little girl when it comes to the opposite sex, really it's not that large of a problem to m e anymore"

Mike nodded in compliance; he didn't want to have to face Rachel everyday thinking about her being raped, especially if it wasn't on her mind, in that case there didn't seem to be much point in obsessing over it.

"I want to watch Transformers 2" he said suddenly, dragging Rachel into the living room, and pulling her down on his lap to watch the film he had put in the DVD player, Puck and Matt following them after a few minutes.

"I will join the CC team" Rachel announced as her greeting dropping her brown bagged lunch on the table.

"Hello to you too" Puck groused as she sat down

"Really?" asked Matt and Mike in unison, they had been annoying her all week to try out with them after they had found her jacket last Thursday.

"Really, but on one condition" Rachel said smiling

"Ok?" asked Mike worriedly

"Puck has to come to every single meet" Rachel declared grinning evilly; Puck sprayed the drink he had just taken over the table in shock.

"Fuck no! It's going to be boring as hell to watch you three run"

"Almost as boring as sitting on a cold bleacher for 3 hours watching you three play football" Rachel replied sweetly "all on my own I might add"

The three boys shifted uncomfortably in guilt, remembering making Rachel promise to support them at football if they were going to support her at her dance competitions, even though she would have to sit on her own during their games.

"The good thing about us three being on the CC team is that we won't always be running at the same time so you will actually get some company, and let me remind you that Mike and Matt will make your life hell if you refuse"

Rachel sat back with a smirk worthy of Puck and looked on as Mike and Matt glared at him. Sighing in resignation Puck nodded "Fine, but tonight I actually want you to watch the game not surf the net on your blackberry"

"Like you can stop me" Rachel scoffed taking a bite from her sandwich.

"Dude she's learning so much from you" Matt laughed as Mike slid an arm around Rachel's chair back; grinning at both Matt's comment and that Rachel was leaning into the side of him.

"I expect you three at my basketball games though" Puck groused "don't want to be booed at every time I get the ball"

"No need to expect Puck, was always going to be there" Rachel told him smiling "your very own cheer section"

"We'll even get pompoms" Matt said smiling "tryouts are next week Rach"

"Cool, I'll go for a run on the track tonight, see how much training I'm going to need to get to my former level, it shouldn't be too great an amount considering I run on my elliptical every morning"

"I'll join you, it will help me warm up for the game" Mike said, finishing his fries, Rachel smiled brightly and nodded eating her lunch.

Mike walked to the track after his last class slowly, already in his gym clothes he wasn't surprised to find Rachel already on the track, her headphones in she ran in great form steadily around the track, coming around the curve, she slowed to a jog as she spotted him waiting on the side. Slowing to a stop she came up to him, smiling happily, her breath a little heavy "I forgot how much I love running, the simple act of just putting on foot in front of the other for as long as you can and want"

Mike smiled "you have great form" he said making her blush, hearing the double meaning behind his words, he grinned and moved closer to her, placing a hand on her hip to hold her close to him, Rachel looked up at him and smiled shyly, the colour still high in her cheeks .

"We should run, if you need to warm up" Rachel said stepping back, making herself retreat when all she wanted to do was drag his head down to her and kiss him hard.

Mike's face fell as he lost the grip he had on her hip "Why do you do that?" he snapped "the minute things start getting real you step back and put up your walls"

Rachel winced, knowing exactly what he was say was right, turning away from him she muttered "because I can't lose you" before starting to run again, speeding up before he could catch her. Mike's face fell in shock and he sprinted after her "Rachel!" he yelled running at full pelt, catching up to her, he grabbed her around the waist, pulling her onto the grass with the force that he grabbed her by.

Rolling onto the grass, he grabbed her hands and pined them above her head as he loomed over her, having her in such a compromising position, was making his stomach clench, but he insisted to himself they talk before he kissed those perfect lips.

"You won't lose me" he insisted

"What if we do pursue a relationship and it fails? Your three boys are my best and only friends, I can't lose any of you" Rachel whispered

"You won't" Mike replied forcefully "there are very few things I can promise you, but this I can, you will not lose me, or Matt or Puck. This is it, us four for life"

"We're seventeen Mike, what are the chances that we will succeed in a relationship at our age?"

"We are the chances" Mike said smiling "if anyone can do this we can" he told her, leaning down to finally capture her lips as his own, let going of her hands to pull her tight to his body despite the fact they were lying on the football field in broad day light. Rachel groaned and kissed him back, letting their legs tangle together as she wrapped her hands around her neck, pulling back she pecked him on the lips before jumping to her feet and started running again, looking back grinning happily.

Mike scrambled to his feet and followed her, knowing they were now together and no more conversation was needed.

Rachel raised her head as the crowd roared again, shifting on the bleachers she shivered as the wind whipped past her again, not seeing anything that meant she should start cheering, she turned her head back to her phone. Sitting at the very top of the bleachers surrounded by people she didn't know she spent the almost three hours of the football game surfing the internet on her phone, standing when everyone else did and cheering when the crowd did.

Sitting down on the bench as the defensive line set up the three best friends glanced up to Rachel and laughed at her, with her hair falling over her shoulders hiding her face they knew she was on her Blackberry.

"It was kind of crappy of us to make her promise to come to the games" Matt sad "Especially as we never win anyway"

"I guess, but it's the last game anyway so doesn't really matter anymore. We'll make it up to her" Puck said, trying to ignore the fact that Finn had kept throwing him the ball when he hadn't be free in the last quarter, and he had been sacked multiple times.

Mike grinned as he looked up at his new girlfriend; his friends used to the goofy grin on his face now ignored it, not knowing that Mike and Rachel had finally talked about their feelings. The game drew to a close with them losing again, not that anyone expected any differently. Glad that the season was over everyone crowded the field, Rachel slowly making her way down to her friends, trying to avoid making eye contact with the glee club, smiling at her friends she hurried to meet them.

Hugging Matt and Puck, she turned to Mike grinning, knowing he had been waiting to shock his friends; Mike swept her up into his arms and dipped her to kiss her firmly on the lips, everyone around them felt their jaws drop in amazement as Mike claimed Rachel in front of the entire school.

"FINALLY!" yelled Matt and Puck, laughing as Rachel blushed and buried her head into Mike's chest, who was grinning like an idiot, his arms wrapped firmly around Rachel's frame.

"Took you long enough" Puck complained, smacking Mike around the back of the head "now food" he declared, taking off his pads, before pulling on his jersey back on, Matt and Mike doing the same thing, forgoing showers with the rest of the team to go to their post game ritual of pancakes at the all night diner, even if Rachel always complained about them smelling atrocious as they ate.

Dousing themselves in body spray before they were allowed in Rachel's car they drove to the diner, entering as a group they laughed with the hostess who was used to the strapping lads and petite brunette coming in after a game. Teasing them about the smell of Lynx over whelming to diner she led them to a table, where they slid into the booth, before they noticed that the table next to them was occupied by Tina and Artie.

"Hi guys" Artie greeted after catching them glance but look away without saying anything.

Matt and Mike grunted in response before turning away from them deliberately, Tina and Artie glanced at each other in anger that two people they thought were friends were dismissing them so easily

"Guys" Artie complained bluntly

"What?" demanded Matt "we not treating you well? Well snap you do exactly the same to Rachel and Puck every day"

Puck and Mike laughed sarcastically, and Artie and Tina looked away remorse, Rachel sitting their quietly holding Mike's hand under the table.

"Look you don't do anything like slushie Rachel or bitch about her to her face, so we aint going to bitch you out, but you hang out with those dicks that do so you're not exactly our favourite people" Matt told them bluntly turning away again, leaving Artie and Tina to have a hard think about themselves.

Rachel entered glee practise on Monday happier than she had been in years, her and Mike had found that very little had changed in their relationship by deciding to date, all it meant was that she stopped pushing him away when he got to close. Spotting her boyfriend and best friends at the back of the class she moved to sit next to them, before meeting the glare s of the front row of the club.

"Hi Rupaul" greeted Santana grinning evilly

"I'm getting that solo back diva" Mercedes snipped, referring to the solo that Mr Schuester had given Rachel last week, seeing as Rachel hadn't had a solo in weeks it was pathetic for Mercedes to harp on about Rachel getting all of the solos.

"Oh fuck off" Rachel said literally bouncing up to her friends, grabbing Puck's hands she forced him to his feet as she bounced.

As everyone else looked on in shock as Rachel swore at them.

"Christ crazy reel it in" snapped Kurt "We don't care that you are happy for whatever stupid reason it is"

"Kurt stop trying to kill my buzz" Rachel snapped stopping bouncing much to Puck's relief "God I made a mistake get over it, it's not like you have never made an error you know" she snapped again before turning back to her friends who wore bemused expressions.

"Excuse me!?" Kurt screeched

Sighing Rachel turned back to him and his glare "Of course I excuse you, I excuse you for your atrocious behaviour and despicable acts against me, because the truth of the matter is you are exactly like me, your just as abrasive, just as arrogant, just as 'crazy'. You are just more underhand in your methods, you find it more important to put people down rather than deal with your own crippling self confidence issues. Now stop trying to put me down because I'm having too good a day to put up with the drama you seem to enjoy inflicting on my life" she finished turning back to her friends who were grinning like idiots that she had finally snapped back.

Handing Mike a letter from the school he read it quickly, his eyes flickering to the words, academic excellence and valued member of the student body, junior year and finals. "They are letting you take finals as a junior?" he asked excitedly.

"Yes, as long as I maintain my GPA, and achieve all A's at my finals I'll be a senior with you three next year" Rachel replied, letting herself be swamped by her best friends as they heard the good news, all of them had been worried about leaving McKinley with Rachel still in school .

"That's not all" Rachel replied as all of them hugged her, handing another letter to Mike to read

"Julliard" he shouted hugging her again

"I got an audition" Rachel screamed bouncing again, as her friends swamped her again, hugging her as tight as they could, completely ignoring the looks of jealousy from the other glee club members, both for her being a junior and having an audition to Julliard.

"Right fuck glee" Puck declared, taking Rachel's hand to drag her from the room, past the Spanish teacher who had been trying to say something since Rachel had snapped at Kurt "we are celebrating, let's get your dads and go fucking celebrate" Puck told them as Matt and Mike followed them.

Rachel bounced back into the house after the meal they had all had a fancy restaurant, her adrenaline levels off the chart still, Mike grinned at his bouncy girlfriend, and wrapped his arms around her to calm her down. Turning in his arms Rachel kissed him passionately "I know it's only an audition, it's just because it's the first step on the whole career path I have had set out since I was ten"

"I'm so happy for you baby" Mike told her grinning as she wrapped herself around him tighter, sweeping her up in his arms he carried her upstairs predicting her slump as the adrenaline wore out. Rachel let herself be carried upstairs, not seeing the way her fathers and best friends were smiling indulgently at the couple.

Helping her into her bed, he lay down with her taking her into his arms, holding her as she rambled about Broadway and Julliard and everything she hoped for, half listening to her, he held her as close as he could thinking about the best way to distract her so she would calm down.

Pulling the shoulder of her t-shirt down he began to rain kisses down on her exposed shoulder, Rachel's mouth snapped shut and she moaned, letting her head roll back onto him, Mike smirked and moved his hands to the hem of her shirt to pull it over her head, freeing her shoulders to more attention.

Lavishing attention on her shoulders, he ran his hands across her body, loving the way she rolled in pleasure against him, her back rubbing against his crotch, making him shift in response, moaning himself he sucked on the skin of her collarbone marking her gently as his.

Rachel whimpered as he moved away "stay" she whispered

"I am" he told her, getting her pyjamas for her, and undressing himself, taking of his jeans and t-shirt to sleep in his boxers, while Matt and Puck slept in the spare rooms.

Feeling the feel good factor of being a good boyfriend for the past few days while Rachel bounced off the walls in excitement Mike walked up to the choir room looking for her. Inside instead of finding a happy excited girlfriend he found her sitting on the piano bench almost in tears, "babe?" he questioned hurrying to hold "what's wrong?"

Rachel looked at Mike and felt a light bulb go off in her head, launching herself onto his lap she pulled his head to hers capturing his lips, kissing him soundly she grinned as she pulled back.

"Ok not that I do not love that simply my presence cheers you up, what hell is going on?" Mike laughed.

"I need your help" Rachel said

"I'd do anything for you, but you really need to start explaining"

"For my audition I need to do a contemporary dance number, and I just can't choreograph one" Rachel told him, shifting so she still sat across his lap but was no longer straddling him "but you are a fantastic dancer, would you help me please?" she begged

"Of course I will" Mike promised "one kick ass dance piece, it's going to rock to help you"

Rachel launched herself back onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist kissing him lightly all over his face, light teasing kisses that left him breathless, laughing happily Rachel burrowed as close as she could into his arms.

"So your audition is in two weeks, we have two weeks to knock this out of the park" Mike said holding her as tight as she held him "are you allowed a partner when you audition?" he asked thinking about different moves.

"Yes" Rachel told him "it shows artistic compromise and collusion if we audition with a partner"

"Then let's get started" Mike said smiling, but frowning as Rachel unwrapped herself from around him.

"One big breath baby" Mike whispered to her as they waited in the wings of the stage in Columbus two weeks later.

Rachel smiled nervously and gripped his hand hard before letting go as she waited for her cue Rachel moved across the stage with a strut, wearing tight black leggings, with a blue flowed top and a pair of leather ballet shoes, she possessed the stage like no other prospective student that day.

Dropping into a split with ease she waited for Mike, and the music to start, as it did Mike, came and grabbed her hands, pulling her to her feet straight up so she was held in his arms, moving together as only two practised and in tune with each other partners could, Mike swung her, each giving and taking as they moved in a confrontational dance, one filled with anger.

Mike would perform a move, when he finished it, Rachel would perform one against him, they got closer and closer as they flipped and twisted across the stage, as the music became more sensual and a Spanish undertone became apparent.

Crooking his finger Mike beckoned Rachel to him, taking her in his arms as they moved across the stage, Mike completely possessing Rachel as they moved, dragging her back if she moved away from him, or if he moved away himself Rachel followed him wrapping her arms around him from behind to hold him close.

Spinning her away, he raced after her, pulling her close, Rachel wrapped a leg around his thigh, before lifting her other leg straight into the air, completely parallel to her body. Holding it for five seconds her leg not shaking at all, Mike eased her to the floor again, straight into a split, before exiting the stage for her to continue on her own.

Waiting outside with her dads and Puck and Matt, they all paced nervously, they had been waiting for an hour, but had heard Rachel's singing audition, her powerful and all encompassing voice blowing away not only those who heard it every day, but also all the other prospective students waiting in the lobby, something which had caused all five males to grin proudly and smugly.

The doors to the auditorium burst open and Rachel ran from the doors, her steps skipping as she launched herself at the males in her life, tears of joy falling from her eyes as she hugged them all.

"Rachel Berry?" questioned a male coming up to the group

"Hello" Rachel greeted brushing the tears from her eyes, even though she didn't know if she had got in to Julliard she was still happy that she had been given the chance to audition, especially in her junior year.

"Hi I'm one of the judges Mr Rogers" he greeted shaking her hand "I wanted to tell you how much of a pleasure it was to see you audition, your singing quite literally blew away your competition, we cannot officially tell you if you have succeeded in your audition today, but I think that it goes without saying, welcome to Julliard" he smiled as the five males jumped on the small seventeen year old who was desperately trying to maintain a professional facade.

"Thank you, thank you so much" Rachel blurted out as she caught her breath

"It's our pleasure let me assure you, actually however I wanted to discuss your dance partner, who was he?"

"Michael Chang" Rachel introduced him as Mike's mouth fell open in shock; struggling as Rachel had to act professional he shook the offered hand.

"All four of us agreed that we would also like you to audition for Julliard, if you could leave your contact details with our secretary we will contact you soon" he told them pointing to a women who was heading over to them.

Mike stammered out his address and number before he turned back to his girlfriend, whose eyes were lit up in pride, sweeping her as he did when he claimed her in front of the entire school he kissed her soundly on the lips, using them to show the emotion he felt. The complete joy and disbelief that his love of dance would actually lead him out of Lima was over whelming him, releasing his girlfriend he felt Matt and Puck actually hug him tightly, before Rachel's dad's did the same.

Taking a minute to themselves Rachel and Mike moved away from the group "I couldn't have done this without you Mike" Rachel told him, wrapping her arms around him.

"Me either Rach, without you Julliard never would have seen me"

"It's all because you are such a fantastic dancer though" Rachel insisted "all of this, all my dreams are because of your skills as a dancer, I can never thank you enough"

"Actually I think you can" Mike grinned winking at her.


End file.
